Self-heating branding-iron.



No; 7|5,859. Y A. A; PHIPP S.

' SELF HEATING ,BRANDING IRON.

Paton-ted Dec. I6,- I902.

2 Shea ts--Shaet I.

(No Model.)

INVENTIOR 144mm )4.

A TTOHNEY 0.. no'rau'ruw WASHINGTON. n. c.

No. 7l5,859. Patanted Dec; 16, I902.

A. A. PHIPPS.

SELF HEATING BRANDING IRON.

(Application filed Feb. 1, 1902.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-*Sheef 2.

WITNESSES lNVENTOf? I AM .Am )4. My, 1M 0/ w BY UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

ABNER A. PHIPPS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SELF-HEATING BRANDlNG-IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,859, dated December16, 1902.

Application filed February 1, 1902. Serial No. 92,113, (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABNER A. PHIPPS, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSelf-Heating Branding-Irons, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of branding-ironswhich are provided with means for keeping the iron hot while in use, tothe end that it can be repeatedly used Without reheating.

The object of my improvements is to produce a strong and compact burnerwherein the hydrocarbon is quickly and highly volatilized and directedin a steady flame and intense heat against the branding-iron.

A further object is the provision of means for preventing the escape ofair from the reservoir to the burner during a temporary inversion of thereservoir.

To these ends my invention consists of certain features of constructionand combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 shows my improved branding-iron in side elevation. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the same, taken centrally through the handle orreservoir, burner, and brand. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectionon the line y y of Fig. 2, taken through the bores or oil-passages. Fig.4 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 2 z of Fig. 2, takencentrally through the generator or volatilizer. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveView of the burner, partly in section, the section being takenhorizontally through the bored passages of the head and showing thecourse of the oil and gas, a portion of the volatilizer being brokenaway to show the annular chamber and the partition therein. Fig. 6 is aperspective view showing the flame-tube nozzle and its spouts asarranged for an L-brand. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the same,showing the disposition of the spouts of the flame-tube nozzle. Fig. 8is an enlarged section of the filter at the beginning of the feed-tube.Fig. 9 is an enlarged section in detail of the valve at the bend of thefeed-tube; and Fig. 10 is an end view of the same, showing the screen.

The branding-iron has a tubular handle 1, forming a reservoir for thehydrocarbon. In the top of the handle is a threaded opening 2, forming afilling-hole, through which the oil is inserted. A screw-plug 3 closessaid filling-hole. This screw-plug 3 has a central bore or air-passage4, and in this bore is a valve 5, of any well-known construction. Ascrew-cap 6 seals the air -passage 4. The burner, which is screwed tothe lower end of the tubular handle or reservoir, consists of a flangedcasting or head 7, a tubular neck part 8, a flame-tube 9, brazed to saidflanged casting 8, and a generator or volatilizer 10, cast integral withsaid-flame-tube. Pipes 11 and 12 lead from vertical bores or passages 13and 14 (see Fig. 5) in the head down along the side of the flame-tube 9to the volatilizer 10. A needle-valve 26, located in the head-casting,controls the flow of oil and vapor. Rods l6, fastened to the flange ofthe head 7, extend downward past the generator or volatilizer 10 and arefastened to and support the brand 17.

The neck 8 of the burner is hollow down as far as the transverse boredpassage 18 in the head. The bored passage 18 is let in from the side ofthe'burner connecting with the vertical bore of the neck and alsomeeting an upwardly-bored passage 13, which is let in from the underside of the head just at the side of the brazed junction of theflame-tube. A pipe 11 is fitted and brazed into this bore 13 and extendsdown along the side of the flame-tube to the volatilizer 10, into whichit opens. The volatilizer 10 is an annular chamber cast integral withand near the bottom of the flame tube 9, which passes through it.Another pipe 12 connects the volatilizer with another upwardly-boredpassage 14 in the head, which connects with another transverse passage19, which is let in from the side of the head. The bored passages 18 and19 are plugged by screw-plugs 21 and 22.

On the top of the head 7 and just over the passage 19 is a nipple 23.Passing through this nipple and through the transverse passage 19 abored passage 24 leads down into the flame-tube.

The openings in the top of the generator or volatilizer for the pipes 11and 12 are close together, and in the small space between these openingsis a gate or partition 20, (see Fig. 5,) so that thepartially-volatilized oil will pass into one opening, around through theannular chamber of the volatilizer, and up through the pipe 12.

Into the bottom of the bored passage 24 is screwed the bushing 25,forming the seat for the needle-valve 26, the stem 27 of which isthreaded into the said passage and projects up through the nipple 23 andpackingbox 28.

It is desirable that the handle of the needle-valve extend somewhatabove the burner, so that in operating it the hand may be away from theheat; but that it may not project too far from the support of thepacking-box or journal it is jointed at about its middle, the upper part29 hanging pendent when not in use. The ordinary knuckle-jointis used,which does not in any way alter the operation of turning the valve-stem.

For the purpose of preventing the compressed air of the reservoirfromentering the burner and extinguishing it duringa temporary inversionof the reservoir I provide the return-tube 3O 31. The lowerend of thearm 30 is screwed into the hollow feed-bore of the neck 8. The other arm31 has at its lower end a filter-box 32, (see Fig. 8,) which is filledwith any suitable filtrant 34. A screen 35 (see Fig. 10) is fastenedacross the end of the filter-box. The upper ends of the tubearms aresoldered into bores 36 37 (see Fig. 9) in the valve-block 38 and areconnected through a passage 39 therein. Opening into this passage 39 isthe valved opening 40, at the bottom of which is the gravity ball-valve41. A pin 42 across the opening 40 confines the ball, but is just farenough above it to permit of a slight movement of the ball. A screen 43,similar to that shown in Fig. 10, covers the end of the opening 40. Thuswhen the branding-iron is held downward the oil is forced through thefilter 32 and up the tube-arm 31, across the passage 39, and downthrough the tube-arm 30 into the hollow neck 8 of the burner.

The branding-iron when used is generally held substantially as in Figs.1 and 2; but if it is momentarily inverted, or partially so, the oilruns to the upper part of the tube, and the air-pressure in the tube 33,supplemented by the gravity of the ball-valve 31, will cause the ball todrop back, so that the oil will pass in around it and the burner willcontinue to operate, whereas if it were not for the Valve the air wouldrush out without oil and the flame would be extinguished. Lest there betoo free a flow through the hollow neck, I place in the hollow thereof aspiral or screw-threaded rod 44 (see Fig. 2) to serve as a bafiile.

In order to obtain the initial heat for the burner, the needle-valve 21is opened and the oil is forced out and down the flame-tube into thehollow of the brand-iron and is'there ignited. The heat from this oilsoon volatilizes the oil in the generator or volatilizer 10, from whenceit passes out by the needle-valve as gas. Thereafter the heat from theburner itself volatilizes the oil. The brand-irons of whatever designare for this purpose always made cup or trough shaped and for thefurther purpose of catching the flame from the burner and preventing theburning of the animal or object to be branded.

Between the brand and the head of the burner I provide a sheet-metalplate 10, which serves as a hood to keep the heat and flame down on thebrand and prevent it from rebounding against or toward the handle andunnecessarily heating it. Such hood or plate may be placed above orbelow the volatilizer or may form a part of the Volatilizer, butpreferably above, as shown in Fig. 1, in order that the volatilizer maythe better receive the intense heat of the rebounding flame from thebrand. This hood or plate is secured in place in any suitable manner,but preferably by holes in its corners, through which the rods 16 pass.Pins driven through the rods above the plate prevent the displacement.

In using brands such as the reversed-L brand (shown in Figs. 6 and 7)the flame from the burner should be directed against the entire surface;but because of the angles and turns of the characters of the brand it isprobable that a single opening from the flametube would not distributethe flame equally over the inner surface of the brand. I thereforeprovide screw-threads on the end of the flame-tube and screw thereon achoke-bore nozzle 45, having main outlet 46, pointing straight down, andthe spouts 47, which point toward the different arms of the brands, asseen in Fig. 7. The main outlet 46 of the nozzle is contracted, so as todeflect some of the flame through the spouts 47 into the differentangles or arms of the brand. The reservoir being partially filled withoil and the filling-hole closed by the screw-plug 3, connection is thenmade with some source of compressed air, such as the ordinary handpumpor compressed-air tank, preferably by means of a flexible tube, which iscoupled to the threaded nipple 5, provided for the cap 6, and sufficientair-pressure is introduced into the reservoir upon the oil. The oil isthus forced through the return-tube into the neck of the burner, fromwhence it passes through the transversely-bored passage 18 in thedirection of the arrows shown in Figs. 3 and 5, thence down theupwardly-bored passage 13, (see Fig. 5,) into and down the pipe 11, andinto the annular chamber of the vaporizer, around through which itpasses, (being Volatilized or gasifled on its way,) and up through thepipe 12 into the upwardlybored passage 14, thence into thetransverselybored passage 19, and through the passage 24 andneedle-valve seat 25 into the flametube, where the vapor is ignited andprojects with intense heat against the brand'17.

While I have shown and described the burner of my device as having thehead cast separately from the flame-tube and pipes 11 and 12, it isobvious that the burner may be cast in one piece, and the oil passagesor conduits, which are shown as formed by the pipes 11 and 12, may beformed by boring from the top of the head down through a thickenedportion of the walls of the flame-tube into the annular chamber of thevolatilizer. It is also obvious that instead of supplying the compressedair from a distant source I may, and in most cases would, use a pumplocated within and at the top of the reservoir or handle. Such aconstruction is shown in my application Serial No. 92,115 forimprovements on this device.

The tubular reservoir is knurled for some distance up from its lower endfor the purpose of giving a better grip or hold for the hand.

The burner may be used without the 'reser voir shown and oil supplied toit from a distant source through a tube connection and also without acup or trough shaped brandiron. In the latter case, however, it must beheld close to the object which is being heated in order that the flamemay rebound against the volatilizer.

Having now fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with thebranding-iron and the flame tube discharging thereon, of the volatilizerencircling the flame-tube and comprising an inclosed drum having aradial division therein, a source of oil-supply delivering to thevolatilizer, a duct delivering from the volatilizer into the upperportion of the flame-tube, and a valve controlling the fluidsupply tothe flame-tube.

2. The combination with the oil-containing reservoir thebranding-iron,and the hydrocarhon-burner arranged beneath the reservoir,the said burner comprising a flame-tube leading from the head anddischarging upon the brandingiron, a volatilizing-chamber provided witha partition, ducts leading to said chamber and on difierent sides but inclose proximity to said partition, one duct leading to said reservoirand the other to the flametube, the said chamber encircling theflametube, and a valve controlling the fluid-supply to the flame-tube.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ABNER A. PHIPPS.

In presence of- WARREN B. HU'roHINsoN, EDWARD P. CLARKE.

